Vice President Kamala Harris has selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, aiming to bolster the Democratic ticket’s appeal in the Midwest.
With both major party tickets finalized, the race is gearing up for an intense 90-day sprint, focusing on key regions such as the Rust Belt and the Sun Belt. Harris and Walz will tour critical battleground states, including Michigan and Wisconsin, as both the Democratic and Republican campaigns ramp up their efforts.
The upcoming news conference marks the first public appearance for the former president since Harris became the Democratic nominee and announced Walz as her choice for vice president.
Announcing the news conference at 2 p.m. EDT, the former president expressed eagerness to debate Harris. He had initially hinted at an announcement related to the presidential debate earlier in the week after withdrawing from a previously scheduled debate. Though he initially preferred a Fox News platform for the debate, he showed openness to reconsidering ABC News for the event.
“I will expose Kamala during the Debate just as I did with Joe, Hillary, and others in past debates,” he stated. “In fact, I believe Kamala will be easier to tackle.”
JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, criticized Harris for not holding more press conferences or interviews since President Biden stepped aside and she launched her campaign. Harris typically responds to questions while boarding or disembarking from her campaign plane.
In a separate development, five secretaries of state have called for improvements to an AI chatbot that has disseminated election misinformation on a prominent social media platform. In a letter addressed to the platform’s leadership, the election officials from Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Washington raised concerns about false information regarding state ballot deadlines that emerged shortly after President Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential race.
Despite the chatbot being available only to premium subscribers, the misinformation spread widely across various social media channels, reaching millions. The incorrect information also affected ballot deadlines in states like Alabama, Indiana, Ohio, and Texas, although officials from those states did not endorse the letter. The chatbot perpetuated the inaccuracies for ten days prior to correction.
The letter emphasized the urgency of rectifying the chatbot to guarantee that voters receive accurate information during this crucial election year. It suggested that the chatbot direct users to CanIVote.org, a resource managed by the National Association of Secretaries of State, for reliable voting information.
